Daily sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet in South Korea are estimated to have surpassed those of rival Apple Inc.’s new iPad sales, sources said Thursday.

Sales of the Galaxy Note 10.1 came to a daily average of 1,800 units so far since the launch of the gadget in mid-August, putting its combined domestic sales at over 100,000 units, according to the sources.

Apple’s total sales of the new iPad, which was locally released in April, likely topped those of the Galaxy Note 10.1, but its daily average sales estimated at 1,500 units lagged behind the South Korean tech giant, they said.

The industry estimates mirror the recently growing popularity of Samsung tablets. So far, Samsung tablets have largely underperformed Apple devices, with combined sales of the iPad series in the U.S. roughly 24 times larger than those of the Galaxy Tab line-up.

The Galaxy Note 10.1, which comes with an electronic stylus, has received favorable reviews by users and critics.

U.S. magazine Consumer Reports recently gave both the Galaxy Note 10.1 and the new iPad 83 points on a 100-point scale, the highest among tablets with 9 to 12-inch displays that only support WiFi access.

The U.S. publication awarded an “excellent” rating for the Samsung gadget’s portability and touch response, while giving the second-highest “very good” rating for its ease of use, display and versatility. (Yonhap News)